The Governance of Time
by elijahsmanhood
Summary: A non-linear retelling of Klaus and Caroline's interactions with one another in the years before she finally comes to him. M for later chapters.
1. Prologue: The Clock Starts

**A/N: Hey guys :) I started writing this fic a little while back in the show's break, and have decided to start posting it here - so it's current until 3x22 and then goes AU. It will flash through different years of their encounters with one another so there will be romance, humour, angst, and yes smut ;) I hope you like it, and please R&R.**

**Prologue – The Clock Starts**

_"Time is the longest distance between two places."_

Before he left Mystic Falls, Klaus came to her; she was slightly surprised at his leaving, but it was no shock that he'd planned to see her before his departure. Caroline had resigned herself to the fact that Klaus had some weird fascination with her, and anything that she said to dissuade him seemed to have to opposite effect.

He always promised that he'd leave with Elena if he ever decided to vacate their unfortunate town, but once she'd become a vampire those plans were no longer a viable option. She knew that day she'd been tortured in the school he'd collected a large store from Elena, and wondered at the number of hybrids he could possibly make with it. The thought made her shiver; only a single drop could promote transition, and Elena had lost so much.

When she saw him through the soft white curtains of her front door, she rolled her eyes, but nonetheless went to open it in the hopes that he'd leave sooner. Ignoring him was not an option; the knocking on the door was simply a courtesy, and if she didn't answer he'd just invite himself in.

"You don't take a hint do you." She spoke to him accusingly, leaning against the door frame.

A small smile flit across his features at this, and she scowled at the repressed mirth that sparkled in his eyes.

"Actually, sweetheart, you're getting your wish. I've made the decision to leave Mystic Falls, and thought I'd come see my girl one last time." He stated simply, with a shrug.

Caroline didn't hide her shock, but recovered quickly when the audacity of his last statement sank in.

"I'm not your girl and you know it. Moreover why should I care that you're leaving? Good riddance, I say. I am beyond ready for the next villain to get to town."

He laughed and shook his head at her words. Even if they never spent time together, her personality left lasting impressions on him, and he would miss even the smallest of their interactions.

They stood there for a long moment in silence, just looking at one another. Caroline found that, strangely it wasn't awkward at all; more companionable. Fortunately, she was shaken from this frightening thought before it could be led toward more ridiculous observations by his velvet speech.

"What I told you that day; the offer still stands if, in the years to come, you find yourself no longer wanting what you have. Sometimes…it can be a lonely existence."

Usually, Caroline would have made a witty comeback at such an invitation by him, but his hesitation at the end of the sentence and the vulnerability that coloured his voice made her stop. He genuinely seemed to care, and in this matter she would graciously hold her tongue.

As she searched for the right words to say, he stepped back and turned to walk away. A part of her seemed to sink at the idea that she was letting go of an opportunity to experience the world that she might never get to see, but she shook off the silly thought. She didn't need him to see its beauty, and she had an unlimited expanse of time ahead of her which she chose to govern wisely.

He stopped at the top of the porch stairs and looked at her over his shoulder, a smile spreading once again across his face.

"Maybe I'll see you around, love."

Klaus straightened his jacket then, and descended the stairs with graceful steps that could only have been possible with years of practice; he seemed to glide down them. Once he disappeared from sight, Caroline let out the breath she had unknowingly been holding the whole time. She didn't move from her position for a long while, simply watched the place he'd vanished from sight.

"Maybe," she whispered finally, though she was skeptical if she'd ever see that handsome face again. Caroline was sure that the world was big enough for the two of them to live comfortably without the chance of ever running into each other in the years to come.

But then, she had the strange feeling that Klaus' words were spoken with promise rather than in speculation.

**So there you have it :) the next update will be up in a day or two, so I'll see you then! Meanwhile, please review and tell me what you think :)**

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	2. Chapter One - Year 42

**A/N: So, as promised here is chapter 1 :) I hope you enjoy it, and please read and review :)**

**Year 42 – The Park**

_"Time is a game played beautifully by children."_

Caroline sat on the wooden park bench, simply watching the children running around on the play equipment. A wry smile was situation on her face, and her fingers picked at the peeling paint of the metal arm of her seat. She'd experience a lot of life in her years as a vampire, but she found that nothing ever measured up to the joy and innocence of youth.

When she'd been in her teenage years she'd displayed such joy, and oftentimes Caroline still plastered that rambunctious smile on her ageless face. However, when she looked at herself in the mirror she found her years distinctly portrayed in the lack of lustre her features showed. Experience killed innocence, and the absence of innocence often resulted in lack of true happiness.

That was not to say that Caroline hadn't had a good life so far. Her enthusiasm for discovering new things, and effort to bring excitement into the lives of others gave her a sense of fulfilment. She had developed a great deal of good memories in the times she had so far and often wondered about her future and the possibility of eternity. One thing stuck in her mind when she thought about these things though, and that was Klaus' comment that one could get lonely after endless days of existence.

Even in her short time, not even yet having outlived a human lifetime, Caroline often felt that understanding in others was limited. She hid her vampirism well, and discovered once leaving Mystic Falls, that there weren't actually that many vampires in the world. Their town was an exception for some strange reason, in the fact that it drew an abnormally large amount of her kind to the area. She had yet to find another place in her travels like it.

Caroline was someone who didn't like to lie, and out in the real world she rarely ran into her own kind more than a couple of times a year. This resulted in her deceit, through the creation of a fake identity, slowly eating away at her resolve until one day she would disappeared out of her 'friends' loves.

Alone again.

Caroline could no longer return to her hometown for more than a few days, as people she once knew from school or work became suspicious. Looking the exactly like Caroline Forbes more than 40 years previous and making your return known was a sure indication to the founders' council to get their weapons ready.

Thus, here she sat a couple of blocks down from her newly furnished apartment, watching as the children played; not a care in the world beside who would the next person to chase everyone around the park.

It's where he found her.

She didn't glance at him, or acknowledge his presence in any way when he sat beside her. The smell of his aftershave pervaded her senses; he smelt of sandalwood and rain, and she found it comforting in a way. His scent never changed over the years, and in a time such as this she found that the familiarity of it settled her nerves.

"Settled in well, love?" He broke the silence after some minute, also not glancing towards her and watching as a child was pushed over by his friend.

"You know, I've told you that you don't have to follow me every time I move cities. I'm sure you have more important things to attend to."

He shrugged at her statement, and she realised he was sitting far closer to her than she'd previously assumed as the material of his jacket rubbed against her arm. She didn't mind too much; through their many strange encounters in the past years the two had called an uneasy truce, or rather she had. They were a long way from being friends, or that's what she told herself, as deep down she knew that all the times they saw one another were him trying to show her he was right. He was adamant that she'd come to him in the end.

It wouldn't be today.

"You make it sound like I watch you all the time, sweetheart; as if I were nothing more than a monster."

"Aren't you?" She quipped back, and a small smile lit both their faces. This banter had become a common thing between them throughout their encounters. It dispelled some of the tension, and averted from each of their individual motives.

Klaus chuckled lightly.

"Perhaps." He smirked, "But even so, you know that I'm only here until you settle in; like always."

His words spoke truths that were supported by the fact that this had been the case every time she moved residence. Although most often she did not see him, she always sensed his presence, and often caught glimpses of his figure at a distance before it disappeared from sight.

Ever since she was attacked over twenty years ago, he did not seem to trust that fact that she could look after herself and it frustrated Caroline. He wasn't as bad as he had once been; that she had to admit after she'd successfully taken him to the ground when he surprised her one time. A smile crossed her face at the thought. It served him right for sneaking up.

"So, why the visitation rights this time? Usually you just lurk in the shadows."

He tilted his head at her words as if in contemplation of his actions, before his head finally turned her way.

"Maybe I just felt like company." He spoke softly to her. She turned to meet his gaze and saw the unspoken words. _Maybe I was just lonely._

She nodded.

"Yeah, me too." She said with equal meaning, and his eyes flashed with recognition that she'd understood his words and he was grateful for them.

Again the silence engulfed the two, but neither felt the need to break it. Silence was sometimes an indication of understanding; nobody needed to talk in order to fill it with words in order to interpret its meaning. This kind of communication was their specialty.

"Did you want children? Before, I mean." She questioned him out of the blue, and for a moment he had to find the words to speak.

"I…I think I did; It was a long time ago," He said to her in explanation of his hesitation, and then a thoughtful look came to his face. "I had a younger brother, you know, Henrik. I was quite fond of him, and I liked being a role model to someone. His death…it affected me greatly at the time."

"I'm sorry." She said, because really, there was nothing else Caroline could say to such open information.

In response he shook his head, and a humourless laugh escaped his throat.

"The thing about time is that not only do your memories of the bad things fade, or your emotions become more manageable, but it's a double-edge blade. Your good memories fade also; I can no longer picture Henrik's face in my mind."

His words were sombre and she looked at him to see that he was focusing on his hands. He was spinning his ring around and around on his finger, and she could see the familiar Mikaelson crest engraved into it. She had never seen him take it off.

Before she knew what motivated her to do it, Caroline reached her hand out and placed it upon his. He stopped immediately, but didn't look up while he stared in bemusement. She took his right hand gently and intertwined their fingers, before settling them upon the small space that separated Klaus' body from her own.

"I wanted them too." She whispered to him.

They sat there for hours, observing the world around them whilst remaining behind their own invisible veil of mutual loss and understanding. They mourned for what could have been.

Klaus and Caroline spoke no more to each other, for nothing need to be said.

When he stood to go, she let him.

**A/N: So, what do you think? Note the fact that this is 42 years in, and you have to remember there are many interactions before this time - for anything that may seem OOC to you.**

**REMEMBER! Reviews are better than a naked JoMo ;) and they'll inspire me to keep writing.**


	3. Chapter Two - Year 17

**Year 17 – The Training**

_"Never waste a minute thinking about people you don't like."_

"Are you ready, Love."

"Yes."

"Are you sure?"

"Seriously!? I can handle it, trust me."

"Alright then; on the count of three. One….Two…"

_Slam._

She cried out as her back hit the ground, and heard a distinct _crack_ when her head made contact with the concrete.

Caroline heard his laughter fill the room.

"You said three." She groaned, getting to her feet slowly.

"I also said that you should be prepared for anything…did they count to three?"

The humour died from his face at these words, and a dark look replaced it. Caroline looked down and away from his intense gaze, because they both knew he was right.

"Again," he stated evenly, but venom coated his voice now.

She knew that he was still angry, and this was his way of channeling that rage which boiled within him. If he wasn't so adamant about it she wouldn't be here, but unfortunately for Caroline the only way to get rid of Klaus this time was to listen to him.

Caroline braced herself and put her body back into a fighting stance, however before she could even contemplate following the movement of her target, she was punched hard in the chest and pushed to the ground.

The air left her lungs as his weight pressed down on her.

"A fighting stance is unnecessary. Generally, an attack will be a more planned routine that is designed to take you by surprise. If you have time to get into a fighting stance you have time to run." He got off her and she pulled un-needed oxygen back into her lungs. "Sometimes flight is the safer option. People think that bravery is a good thing, but if you're unevenly matched, no matter how brave you are Caroline, you still end up just as dead."

He walked out of her line of vision and she quickly got to her feet once more.

"You do not use you other senses enough, Sweetheart. I am sure that as a young vampire, you were taught to shut them out so that you could focus on remaining in control." He shook his head at her. "But it is different now. Now that you have established your control over the bloodlust, you must slowly let back in the senses that you've muted. What is the use of being a vampire if you suppress the things that make you what you are?"

Caroline rose once more from the floor of the warehouse, touching at the blood which covered the back of her head, and groaning.

"Perhaps if you went a little easier on me, I'd be fine. I don't need my skull cracked each time to understand the lesson."

"I am already downplaying my own strength so that I have that of any ordinary vampire. If you can't keep up, then perhaps a few hits to the head might knock some sense into you, love."

She scowled at him as he said this, but slowly relaxed her body in such a way that her senses were slowly raised.

As she stood there and concentrated on her surroundings, everything slowly changed. Drops of blood hitting the floor from her head suddenly sounded like a waterfall; The air felt like hands on her skin as it swam around her body with the breeze that came from several open windows, and from across the room the musky, forest smell of Klaus' scent hit her nostrils.

She closed her eyes and shivered as she adjusted, before opening them and spotting him watching her with an appreciative expression. She had been so used to keeping her guard up constantly, that it felt like a relief to finally let her body relax to its full potential.

Her senses had already been heightened before, but this felt like an additional boost which left her feeling like an adrenaline and hormone fueled teenager all over again…perhaps it wasn't such a good idea after all.

"Again." Was all he said once she appeared ready, grinning slyly as he noticed her eyes sweep his figure for far longer than necessary.

* * *

Over the course of the next few days, Caroline found herself becoming increasingly familiar with the hard stone floor of the warehouse in which they trained. She didn't know why she thought Klaus would go easy on her - perhaps because he fancied her she thought he'd be hesitant to hurt her in anyway. Instead, he seemed to thoroughly enjoy the struggle she had returning to her feet each time she was knocked to the floor.

Hours upon hours of being struck in every region of her body left an ache that stayed even after she healed. Caroline wondered, after he finally dismissed her at the end of the second day, if a vampire could actually die of exhaustion.

The thought that this could go on for weeks until he was satisfied to let her go off on her own again made her want to tear out her hair.

It was the morning of the third day, after her face was smashed into the ground and her nose broke, that she finally cracked. Usually, once she hit the ground it was seen as a defeat and Klaus stopped his attack, however before he could get off her, she pushed back with all her strength and growled. Slightly surprised, he flew backwards - stumbling on his feet, but remaining upright.

When his surprise dissipated, he raised his eyebrows at her with an amused smirk.

"Something wrong?"

She scowled, and straightened the cartilage in her nose with a wince so that it would heal properly.

"I've had enough. This is completely ridiculous. I'm not learning anything other than how to fall on my butt repeatedly and all the different ways to break every bone in my body!"

"It was inevitable that you'd have a few falls. It's called training for a reason. You learn from your mistakes until eventually you don't make them anymore and you can outwit your opponent."

He shrugged as he said this and placed his hands in the pockets of his jeans, strolling towards her as if she wasn't giving him a glare which probably would have sent lesser men running.

"You cannot expect to learn in a day what took me a thousand years to refine." He continued.

"And you cannot expect me to spend a thousand years with you in order to perfect my skills. Less than three days in your company and already I'm considering taking off my ring and striding out that door."

He rolled his eyes at this.

"Don't be so dramatic, love."

"I'm not being dramatic, I'm being realistic Klaus. For three days my body has been slammed into that floor, and however many moves you teach me there is no way I can overpower you. You're delusional if you think that I'll get any better at this in the time I'm willing to spend in your company." She spoke, as she turned to make for the door; adamant on leaving for the night.

Klaus had other ideas, however, and he flashed to stand in front of her with hands gripping her shoulders tightly.

"You are the one who is delusional if you think I won't have you make time, and if you don't wish to be permanently injured I suggest you quiet yourself."

He paused for a moment in his speech, realising that he'd taken her off guard when he'd flashed in front of her, and he growled angrily releasing her shoulders.

"My patience grows weary with your lack of effort! You aren't even trying, Caroline."

"What!? Yes I-" she interrupted, but he held up his hand with a stern look; warning her that it was not a time to talk.

"I took you by surprise just now, and that should not have happened. Just as a human can easily keep track of other humans' movements, vampires can and should attune themselves to easily follow the speed and movement of their own kind.

"You may see me as a monster, and I do not deny that I am one, but don't go so far as to think that this brings me any kind of joy or satisfaction. This is about survival, sweetheart, and at the moment I'm doing my best to overlook your stubbornness so that I might transform you from prey into predator."

He stepped so close to her that Caroline could feel his breath fan over her face, and her own hitched. When he reached up to touch her lips she flinched, but he took no notice and instead wiped at the blood that had originated from the cut lip she received along with her broken nose. Slowly, and deliberately, he put the finger in his own mouth while staring intensely into her eyes.

"You want realistic?" he asked her finally, lowering his hand and pulling her back to her senses. "Realistic is knowing that if I hadn't shown up that night, you would be _dead_."

A rage built in Caroline so strong that it was as if she were a new vampire all over again. He was using her attraction to him as a weapon, and his words in addition to that embarrassed her. She knew what happened that night would have been far worse if he hadn't shown up, but she'd be damned if she let him lord it over her.

"That's it. I'm through. I'm sick and tired of your holier-than-thou act. Just because you're over a thousand years old doesn't mean you're God. I don't _have _to do this you know, but I gave you the benefit of the doubt…turns out you're too much of an egotistical alpha freak. Go back to playing with your hybrids, I'm out."

Caroline stepped around him and made for the door, but she didn't get far before he had her arm in his grasp.

_When they have a hold of you like this Love, you need to free yourself immediately. You're disadvantaged by having only one arm to attack._

Caroline remembered him teaching her a move to counter such an attack on the first day, and without even thinking twice she utilised it, using her small frame to duck under his arm and bend it backwards until he was forced to let go.

He raised his eyebrows at her in surprise and she grinned for a moment, before continuing her path to the door, running as fast as she could. Her adrenaline was suddenly pumping.

She hadn't even made it half way before he had her around the waist with arms locked by her side.

_This is one of the worst positions to find yourself in, so I'll teach you to escape it early. Many people make the mistake by struggling to free their arms at this stage when what you have to focus on is the resources you CAN utilise._

_Your legs are free to move. Use them._

She raised her foot immediately, smashing it hard into his instep and as he grunted, loosening his grip, she pulled her elbow back and slammed it backwards into his stomach.

Once free of his arms, she laughed as she raced to meet the door, taking the handle in her grasp but not having time to turn it when he swept her legs from under her.

_Never put yourself at a disadvantage to your opponent. Either find higher ground than theirs, or make it an even playing field. If you're knocked to the ground, either get back up as quickly as you can, or take them down with you._

What he hadn't counted on in his attack was the fact that now that her senses were on high alert, Caroline had felt the movement of air around his body when he'd come for her. She hadn't made it in time to avoid him completely, but she'd had enough time that she'd twisted toward him. As she fell to the ground she put all her strength into her other leg and aimed it toward his knee.

The sound of the crack ricocheted off the walls like the bang of a gun, along with his yell of pain, and they both fell next to each other on the floor breathing heavily.

There was a long silence as they waited for their bodies to heal and stared at the high ceiling.

"Well that was different, Sweetheart."

"Yeah."

"You really went for it that time."

"Yeah." She said again, because even she was in shock at what she'd just achieved.

There was another pause before either of them said anything.

"Perhaps rage is the key." He chuckled.

She turned her head sideways and rolled her eyes at him, and they both slowly sat up and stood.

"Well, lucky for you it's something you tend to bring out in me."

"Then by all means, when fighting your enemies you may think of me as often as you like."

She snorted at this, before a grin slowly spread across her face.

"I did it." She said to him proudly, and he returned her smile with one of his own.

"You still have a lot to learn." Was all that he responded, but she saw the admiration shine in his eyes that she often shied away from. She knew she wasn't even close to being ready for what he wanted, but it didn't stop her from wondering what it would be like to give in…

She looked down at her hands nervously before meeting his eye.

"Then…I'll see you tomorrow? She said.

"I look forward to it." He said with a smirk, and she hastily made her way out of the door.

Secretly, so did she.

**A/N: So there you have chapter 2 :) I hope you liked it, and please do review :D It's better than a naked JoMo and gives me reason to keep writing.**

**I may discontinue posting it here if there isn't much interest and keep it exclusively for my tumblr blog, so please do tell me if you like it :)**

**Saying that, THANK YOU! To all those who followed, favourited and reviewed :D I LOVE YOU DEARLY!**

**Please, follow me on Tumblr: elijahsmanhood :)**


	4. Chapter Three - Year 38 (part 1)

**Year 38 – Wrong time, wrong place (Part 1)**

_"Time is the school in which we learn, time is the fire in which we burn."_

_Vampires can't drown_.

The mantra ran in her head over and over.

_Vampires can't drown._

She didn't know if she believed the words, but in some way knowing that she was still conscious enough to think them kept her sane.

_Vampires can't drown_

Her arms had been yanked at an awkward angle behind her back, and her wrists were being gripped so tightly that the bones rolled around one another like marbles encased in skin – broken beyond repair if she were human.

Her head was submerged once more into the rusting metal tub. It was the only thing to be found in the dilapidated bathroom besides a tap which dripped constantly and a toilet she was pretty sure housed a family of rats under its lid. Not that they seemed to care. Nor did they care about slamming Caroline's knees into the once-white tiles of the floor to kneel her beside the misty water.

That had been over an hour ago.

Where they were, Caroline didn't know, but she had been a resident in the house for the last 7 hours and 43 minutes. She knew this because every time her head entered the water, she counted the seconds under, and every time it left, she counted the time until it was put back in.

Before the tub…she had other things to count for.

Her hair was yanked backwards, and her face left the water with a gasp that made her feel like she was breathing in razor blades.

"P-Please, no more. Please, stop." She sobbed, her breath coming out in a hoarse cry from its overuse. She'd said similar things as time had gone by, but each time they ignored her, and instead chose to submerge her sooner just so that she would stop making a noise.

Her screams weren't as loud under the water.

_Vampire can't drown_

Her soaking mop of hair meant that the water was permanently against her skin, but compared to having her head underneath the surface of the murky pool in front of her this was heaven.

"Please, I-" She was shoved forward once more, violently and without notice.

It was worse when she couldn't prepare herself.

Her mouth had been open, as well as her eyes, and when she broke the shining layer to plunge into its depths, the water found its way into every crevice of her face it could find.

She hated when she feltit touch her skin - not that she took much notice around her screaming and thrashing. It floated on the surface of the pool as if, when each time she was removed and saw it, the lilac petals were reminding her of what she could never forget.

Vervain.

So much vervain.

She's always thought that their beauty was such a contradiction to the pain they brought, and Caroline was sure that if she never laid eyes on the flower again in her lifetime it would be too soon.

Not that she had much of a lifetime left to live.

_Vampires can't drown_

Her face was pulled out once more, and this time it took her at least half a minute before she could see properly again. Her eyes had burnt underneath the water when she had them open, and as easily as it burnt her skin, the laced water stripped her eyesight from her more painfully than anything she'd ever experience in her life.

He let go of her hair and she fell sideways, coughing and landing on the grimy floor. Glancing up, the first thing she saw were the big rubber gloves he used so that the vervain did not reach his own skin. He was grinning down at her in a most repulsive manner, and Caroline resisted the urge to look away. She would not back down from his gaze.

He laughed and crouched next to her.

"How are you holding up, _sweetheart?"_

She flinched at the nickname, thinking that it sounded wrong coming from this man's lips. He had no right to call her that.

"I am _not_ your sweetheart." She growled, although it sounded meek even to her ears.

"Oh, trust me honey. After this, you won't even care what you are to me." He grinned at her again, before looking at the clock. "Almost 8 hours…it's a commendable effort on your part, but you won't last much longer."

"Try me." She bit back, and he shrugged his shoulders before standing up against and adjusting the gloves.

"My pleasure."

Before she could blink, she was being yanked up by one of her arms and pushed over the rim of the bathtub face-first. The difference this time however, was that he didn't stop applying pressure at the shoulders and instead swept her legs from under her and pushed her entire body under the surface.

As she felt an extra pair of hands hold her legs under the vervain-filled bath, Caroline wondered just how much pain a person could take before it became too much.

_Why couldn't vampires drown?_

* * *

_9 hours earlier_

It took a lot to get a vampire drunk, but it didn't mean you couldn't be, and with heightened emotions that wasn't always a good thing. Lowered inhibitions made for stupid decisions.

Like the one she'd just walked away from.

She tried to convince herself that she'd got lost in the moment and that the alcohol had messed with her mind. He'd shown up to the bar and sat next to her, they'd swapped some barbs and because she'd been lonely she hadn't asked him to leave; hadn't walked away.

Now here she was, stumbling along the cobbled sidewalk heels-in-hand, with angry tears stinging her eyes and a hand that still felt numb from the slap she'd delivered to the side of his face. He'd deserved it, of that she was sure, but whether or not it would change his opinion of her she wasn't so confident.

How could someone who only showed him hate still draw his fancy? But more importantly, why did she care so much about his opinion?

She groaned and blamed it on the alcohol.

Caroline's hand involuntarily rose to touch her lips, remembering the soft touch of his own against then, but she dropped it quickly and scowled. She was ashamed. Ashamed that she'd kissed him and humiliated about the fact that she had even deigned to keep his company…or at least that's what she told herself. Even after she had pulled away and he gave her that smile she hadn't regretted it.

Not until he'd opened his mouth and spoken.

"_How about we take this somewhere more private, Love."_

Like a hammer to ice, it had broken the moment. Behind his words she'd read that underlying implications of following him out the door. If she said yes, there was no going back. It didn't matter that she hadn't confirmed anything because her actions spoke louder than words. He had gotten to her and for a brief moment Caroline had given herself to him.

So perhaps her decline shouldn't have come in a rough push backwards or a disgusted look, but that's how it did.

Telling him that he'd violated her and taken advantage might have been a step too far, but that's what she'd said.

Maybe, in the end, slapping him after he tried to defend himself for his actions might not have been her best decision, but it was the one she made.

Caroline groaned out loud and vowed not to drink for another century in the very least. It only brought bad luck her way…not that the night could get any worse for her than it already was.

"Excuse me, miss."

An English-accented voice interrupted her musings.

She looked up from her carefully calculated steps to see a young man, no older than about 25, smiling kindly at her. If she were to keep walking, she would have run into him.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I wasn't watching where I was going."

Sidestepping to go around him, she found her path blocked once more as he moved with her. Raising her eyebrows she looked at him questioningly. He was a little creepy, she admitted, but she was a vampire. That, combined with the training that Klaus gave her all those years ago, and Caroline fear wasn't piqued much by this man's behaviour.

"No need to apologise. It's not often that I find myself in the company of a beautiful creature such as you." His grin widened, and she laughed at the tacky quality of his pickup.

"Does that line ever work?" she asked, still laughing softly.

"Not really…but I've found that this always works a treat."

Caroline had done the wrong thing; she'd let her guard down. His terrible pickup line, combined with the alcohol running through her system meant that she didn't pay attention to her surroundings such as Klaus had taught.

The man moved with lightning speed, indicating to Caroline, in her few seconds of remaining conscious thought, that he was a very old vampire. Even to her eyes, he was just a blur, and before she could react there was a needle in her neck and he was pushing down the plunger.

Like fire through her system the vervain spread, until her strength waned and she dropped into the arms of her waiting captor.

The last thing she saw was his grinning face.

The last things she heard were his mocking words, although they made no sense to her.

"An eye for an eye."

* * *

_8 hours earlier_

When Caroline woke tied to a chair, it was so reminiscent of the time her father had tried to 'cure' her that for a moment she believed herself back in that cellar in Mystic Falls. Once she'd gathered the strength to eventually open her eyes however, she looked around to find that she was in…the living room of an old house?

There was a disheveled, strained sofa to her right, and the doorway to a much rotted kitchen lay in front of her. From the worn condition of the carpet at her feet, she could tell that the legs on a coffee table used to rest around the area her chair now sat.

Other than that, the only thing in the room was a record player sitting on a side-table…and him.

He looked different in this light; more sinister. But then, perhaps that was because she knew what he was now. The vampire had a square, defining jaw and green eyes that seemed to catch the little light that shone through a window behind her and his hair was an unruly brunette mop on his head. Long lashes of the same colour surrounded his eyes and it almost made him appear as if he wore makeup. One thing was for sure, he didn't look like the type of person to kidnap someone, but then who did?

Caroline shivered, when he directed his boyish smile towards her and began walking forward.

"Ah, you're finally awake. For a second there, I thought I'd misjudged the dosage and given you too much. How are you feeling, gorgeous?"

She scoffed at his comment and turned her head away as he leant down in front of her.

"Peachy. Thanks for asking."

He lifted his hand and grabbed her chin roughly, yanking her head back so she was looking him in the eyes.

"It's rude to look away while I'm talking to you." He growled, and squeezed her jaw tightly.

Of all the things he could have said to her, this statement was so surprising that it actually made her laugh. It was slightly on the hysterical side, because she knew if she hadn't laughed she would have cried, but she couldn't help it.

It angered him though, and as soon as it left her lips a dangerous look came to his eyes, making her want nothing more than to take it back.

"I can see why he likes you; you're a disrespectful little bitch who's easy on the eyes. Probably enjoys the fact that you play hard to get." He waved his hand in dismissal, "but that's not what's important. What _is_ would be the fact that he possesses feelings for you and I can use that to my advantage."

Caroline grimaced on the inside, but glared at him and ripped her jaw from between his fingers. This man had a vendetta against Klaus, and if that were the case then she'd just been placed in the middle of something big.

No one went against Klaus unless they had a death wish.

"You're not going to get to Klaus through me." She spoke with steel in her voice.

"Oh? and why do you say that?"

"Klaus feels nothing for me. I assume you've been watching us, so you saw the fight back there. We hate each other."

Alright, so it was a little white lie, but if this man knew Klaus outside of his interactions with her, it was hard to believe that he had feelings at all.

The vampire smiled cruelly and leant backward.

"Ah yes, but I also saw the kiss that came before. Plus, I have never seen anyone rile Niklaus as you did and survive. Either he's gone soft over the centuries, or you're lying to me. Now, knowing the situation you're in, I'm going to put my bets on the latter."

They held each other's gaze for a long moment as Caroline refused to back down and look away. She was not weak, and she would not break for him.

After a while he laughed, and combined with his words, it made her blood run cold.

"I'm going to have a great deal of fun putting that fire in your eyes out, darling."

"Go to Hell!" She spat forcefully at him.

He chuckled once again, and walked to a bag that sat on the bench top of the kitchen counter, before coming back into the living room and settling it in front of her.

"Didn't you know? We're already here."

* * *

His name was Killian.

She found that out in the third hour, when he grown sufficiently bored of breaking her fingers and running the petals of vervain over her skin, and instead decided to move to more medieval methods of torture.

As she caught her breath, and watched him prepare in front of her, Caroline began to liken the scene to those in movies, where the villain begins to tell the captive the entire back story of their life. She would have laughed if not for fear of screaming while her bones and flesh knit themselves back together.

She refused to scream for him and show him how much pain she was really in.

"I do apologise." He spoke up in an even tone, "I never did introduce myself. The name's Killian."

He looked up from what he was doing as if waiting to see a reaction, perhaps some recognition in her face, but Caroline gave nothing. She didn't know who this man was, and he appeared displeased by the fact.

"I already know yours, _Caroline_." He snapped out, "but apparently serving over three decades with your boyfriend meant nothing to him."

She wisely chose to remain silent; as it appeared that anything she said only seemed to anger him more than her silence did. She hid her shock at the new revelation with a stoic expression and listened carefully as he divulges. Perhaps if he got lost in his story, she'd be able to break free of the vervain-soaked ropes that held her to the chair.

"Yes, Niklaus and I used to be acquaintances…I say acquaintances because that man has no heart in which to offer friendship or anything more." He paused and shifted his gaze to hers, "in most cases, anyway."

He stood up after removing a few things from the bag and held the contents of his hands out so that she could see. Caroline's gaze landed on five sharp, wooden objects. They were flat like a nail file, but the big difference between the two was that at the ends these ones were sharpened to a point.

"These here, we're going to have a lot of fun with," he grinned at her, "or, at least I am. Are you familiar with methods of torture in war? Probably not, so let me fill you in."

He touched the tip of one of the wooden slivers to her cheek, and traced a line across it. Caroline's body stiffened, waiting for it to penetrate her skin, but he pulled it away.

"Usually, they use bamboo skewers, but these will do. You put the pointed end underneath the end of the fingernail, and then depending on how much you want it to hurt, you can either use your own strength or a hammer to-" he imitated smacking the end and made a popping sound, "give it a little encouragement to move forward."

Caroline couldn't keep the horrified look from her face this time and he seemed pleased to get a response from her finally.

"Ah yes, so back to my story." He turned around and walked away, leaving Caroline to let out a momentary sigh of relief.

"We spent thirty long years together, he and I, until one day he gave me an order and I realised that I didn't want to follow it, or more specifically him, anymore. I wanted my own life and I felt that as his obsession grew with breaking 'The Curse of the Sun and the Moon', so did his greed, arrogance and cruelty to others."

Caroline at that moment felt that it was ironic that he seemed to have fled Klaus' company due to his 'cruelty to others', when here he was about to shove some wooden skewers underneath her fingernails.

She wisely kept her thoughts to herself.

As he told his story, she watched him go into the kitchen and come back with an unmistakably recognisable flower.

Vervain.

While he talked, be picked up each skewer one at a time; rubbing the vervain into their tips before spreading it along the remaining length of the wood.

Not for the first time tonight, Caroline wished she had just taken Klaus up on his offer to go home, because she was fairly sure they'd be having a much better time than she was right now. The thought was always fleeting however when she remembered the fact that she was in this mess in the first place because he'd angered this man and, in unfortunate circumstances on her part, taken a liking to her.

"I didn't do as he ordered, but instead fled the place and started my own life, mistakenly thinking that my _friend _would understand and let me leave."

Even to Caroline, the notion sounded rather far-fetched. If you don't follow Klaus' orders, you, or someone close to you, will end up following the ferryman across the river Styx. It was as simple as that.

A dark look crossed her captors face, and had Caroline been freely standing, she would have taken a step back. He stalked towards her then, and forcibly pushed her palm down onto the arm of the chair so as to keep it still, lining up one of the wooden sticks at the tip of her finger.

Caroline's breath came out in short gasps now.

"He slaughtered my entire family as revenge for my disloyalty, and allowed me to live so that I could suffer with my pain," He roared at her now, and silent tears began to roll down Caroline's face in anticipation of pain and fear of what would become of her. "My little brother and sister, and both my parents…killed in their bed with a sword through each of their chests. Not to mention the families my siblings had made for themselves. All were gone in the blink of an eye."

He started to push on the end of the first skewer in anger, and Caroline bit her lip so that she wouldn't cry out. If the burn of the vervain wasn't enough, the pain of having her nail separated from skin was excruciating.

"So for centuries, I waited for my revenge. I wished to take his family from him but they were too powerful, so I watched and bided my time until he formed another attachment. I thought it an impossible task and had been on the verge of giving up…but then I saw him with you." He stopped pushing for a moment and met her angry, tear-filled gaze. "I'd seen you together before…watched you both interact with one another, but it wasn't until tonight, when my hopes for his affection for you were confirmed in that kiss, that I saw my opportunity and struck."

"Klaus will kill you for this." She spoke up finally, for the first time in hours.

Killian donned a sad smile then as he looked back her hand.

"I know, Caroline."

Then he reached down to grab the hammer, and she looked away as he prepared to take the swing.

* * *

It was an hour before the bath incident that she found out he'd been spontaneously taking audio recordings and pictures throughout the night.

The reason she hadn't figured it out before that point in time was because he generally took audio recordings when he was inflicting pain, and her attention was elsewhere. The photos were taken when her body was so completely exhausted that she'd shut down from most of the world while the pain consumed her body.

This time around, he made it pretty obvious.

"Alright darling," he spoke, lifting her head with his hand while the camera phone was in the other. "I need you to open your eyes and say cheese."

He laughed at his own joke, while Caroline forced her eyes open. She heard the crackle of the dried blood on her eyelids, and cringed away from the slight burn of the vervain that tainted his gloves.

Needless to say, she did not smile. He took the picture anyway.

"W-what are you doing?" her voice came out as little more than a whisper after all the vervain he had pushed down her throat. Swallowing felt like she'd decided to feast on razor blades.

"Oh, just creating a little photo album for Klaus, gorgeous. I thought I'd make a big collection and send them all at once, but I'm too excited so I think I might start now. I already have at least 20 good pictures of you, plus a few beautifully recorded screams. 'Don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today', so the saying goes."

She watched as he played with the features of what she now saw was her mobile phone. Klaus' number was on there; Killian had no doubt realised this earlier and used it to his advantage.

The sound of a message being sent filled the silent room, and he glanced up at her smiling. Well, this would be interesting to say the least.

It didn't take a minute before her phone started ringing, and Caroline pushed all her remaining strength into hearing what was said on the other end of the line while Killian answered.

"Hello, Niklaus."

"Who is this?" growled a voice through the other end of the phone, and Caroline nearly let out a cry of joy at even being able to hear it again.

"Who I am doesn't matter…what I have does; to you."

It was at this particular moment in the conversation that Caroline had a small revelation.

During their training so many years ago now, one of the most important things that Klaus had taught her about was trust and betrayal. You didn't reveal any damning information to those who were not your close familiars until you had undeniable trust in them. But most importantly, watch your friends as closely as your enemies on the off chance that they may become one.

At the time, she'd told him he had trust issues and her friends were loyal to her so she didn't need to know this, but he told her one day it might save her life.

Today may just be that day.

If you watched your friends, you knew their habits; what decisions they would make, how they would react in particular situations…what kind of location they would take someone to torture them.

In order to torture Caroline as long as possible, Killian had wisely withheld his name so that Klaus would have a harder time tracking him. Unfortunately for him, they shared the same teacher.

So Caroline spoke up.

"His name's Killian." She said as loudly as she could, which was about as loud as anyone else's normal speaking voice. Vampire hearing was incredibly sensitive and he'd have probably heard her at a whisper, but she didn't care; she had to guarantee he got all the information he could.

If the pause in Klaus' speech on the other end wasn't any indication that he heard her, then the slap Killian delivered to her cheek was. She let out a cry and the chair toppled sideways, landing on one of her hands and crushing it.

A whimper left her throat.

"You touch her again Killian, and I'll-"

"Oh, I think we're well past the point of threats now. We both know you want me dead so let's just spare the dramatics, shall we?"

There was another long pause.

"Alright then mate, what is it exactly that you want, besides a slow agonizing death?"

"I want nothing but your suffering, my old friend, and through torturing and killing your little girlfriend here I get that. It may result in my own death, but I've come to terms with that fact and I find it an agreeable sacrifice. With her death, comes your pain."

He walked over then, cradling the phone between his shoulder and ear, and grabbed the arms of Caroline's chair; lifting it and setting it straight once again on the stained carpet. She let out a small sigh when the pressure on her broken wrist was removed, and groaned from the vertigo the lift brought her.

"You are really so foolish as to think I won't find you in time?" Klaus growled, and in front of her Killian shrugged his shoulders even though she was his only audience.

"Well, before your _sweet _Caroline spoke up, I thought I'd have at least a day or two left in me before you figured out who I was, but now I'll just have to up the ante a little with the few hours I have left. Goodbye, Niklaus, I will see-"

"Wait," Caroline's ragged voice stopped him and he looked at her curiously, pausing in his speech and raising his eyebrows. Both men were silent as they waited for her response.

"I-can I talk to him? Please?" she asked pleadingly. To her surprise, Killian seemed to actually contemplate the idea a moment before nodding at her. Of course, Klaus couldn't see it, so his angry voice broke the room next.

"Put her on."

"Now now Niklaus, don't forget who has the winning hand here. I've given her permission to say her last goodbyes and whatnot. I'll probably enjoy this as much as you will hate it, so why not?"

She didn't know whether or not she'd blacked out for a short few seconds, or if he'd flashed to her side, but the next thing she knew the phone was against her ear.

"Hey," she said softly with a smile. A single tear escaped her eyes and ran down her cheek.

"How are you holding up, sweetheart?" His voice came in a gentle whisper that seemed to caress her face through the phone.

"Never better, thanks for asking."

This time a small sob did escape her, once her words had made it out through the valley of blood that coated the inside of her throat. Caroline was sure she heard a small growl of frustration through the phone at her hardship in answering, but he covered it with a humourless laugh for her small joke.

"That's my girl. Just hang in there - I'm coming to get you." There was a slight pause before he spoke again, as if he were waiting, "What is it that you wanted to tell me, Love?"

"Please hurry."

**A/N: ANDDDDD CUT! :D How'd you like it? Was it suspenseful enough? Was the torture to your liking? hehe, most importantly, does it make you want to keep reading to find out what happens?**

**Happy New Year, everyone :) I hope you enjoy this update. The next one should be very soon, as I've nearly completed it. Thank you SOOOOO much to everyone who followed, favourited and BEST OF ALL reviewed my story :D I can't believe the reception that last chapter got especially :) Truly amazing. Thank you.**

**PLEASE R&R! Reviews are better than Klaroline sex and they motivate me to write more.**

**Follow me of Tumblr: elijahsmanhood ;)**

**Love, B.**


	5. Chapter Four - Year 38 (Part 2)

**A/N: I know - I'm the worst. I have a million and one excuses for the delays in writing and posting this chapter - moving, uni, lack of motivation - but really you don't want to hear them, and I just hope this chapter makes it up to you.**

**Sorry for any mistakes you might find within - Its 3am but I wanted to get this posted before bed.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Year 38 - Wrong time, wrong place (Part 2)**

_"Death: The one appointment we must keep, and for which no time is set."_

It was when he went into the bathroom to prepare that Caroline decided Klaus was taking too long and she was taking matters into her own hands.

Albeit it had only been 50 minutes since they'd talked, but she decided she wasn't about to wait around to be saved like a regular damsel-in-distress. Caroline's body had slowly begun to heal itself and with her growing strength also came her determination to make such a risky escape attempt.

The idea had developed after Killian had pushed the chair over during the phone conversation and she'd broken her hand. When he lifted the chair she noticed the bindings had loosened around the hand once it had been broken, and had it not already started to heal she probably would have been able to slip out of it.

So as the water poured into the bathtub from two rooms over, she began to shift her weight from side to side in order to rock the chair. It had to be a relatively rapid process, as she reasoned that the longer it lasted the more likely Killian was to hear the soft thudding of the chair legs over the sound of the running water.

Eventually, the momentum of the swings combined with her small weight sent the chair toppling sideways, while she quickly positioned her hand at the edge so it would fracture. She hoped.

The small thud that came with the landing, as well as the surprisingly loud crack of both the wood and her wrist brought a yell from Killian and she heard his footsteps race down the hall with vampiric agility. She had no time to spare; as soon as she'd made contact with the ground and achieved her goal, Caroline set to work.

Fighting off the pain, she manipulated her broken hand through the bindings before pushing her legs down with a great enough force that the structure of the chair broke and her lower limbs were set free.

By the time she was in a crouching position, Killian was in the room and she still had one arm bound to the arm of the chair.

Not hesitating as he rushed towards her, she got to her feet, simultaneously swinging upward with her arm and bashing the side of his head in with the remains of the chair. There was another loud crack as it made contact and splinters sprayed in all directions, showering them both.

Much to Caroline's dismay, he didn't fall to the ground but instead stumbled sideways, bracing his arms against the wall as blood flowed freely through the fingers of the hand that held the side of his face. It wasn't the advantage she'd been hoping for, however it was enough and she swivelled on her heels, sprinting for the door as fast as she could with her injuries.

It was simple enough really; all she needed to do was get outside. While she'd been there, Caroline had observed that Killian did not possess a daylight ring, or any other jewellery that contained lapis lazuli, on his person. As long as she got outside the perimeter of the residence she'd be safe from him.

The trek seemed to take longer than it should have; as if everything were happening in slow motion. With the state that her body was in, it was clear to anyone who saw her that she wasn't exactly in peak physical form, but Caroline didn't realise just how much energy it would actually take to get out of there alive.

She pushed her body forward with everything she had in her, but it wasn't enough.

Killian had only been dazed for a moment, and he was a centuries old vampire after all. There was really no way she could outrun him; especially in her condition. Caroline had been so desperate to get away from the torture inflicted upon her body though, that she'd been willing to risk it all.

Before she even had time to react, two arms wrapped themselves like boa constrictors around her body; one around her waist, the other curling over the front of her shoulders. Looking ahead of her she measured the distance between herself and freedom.

No more than four feet, and she'd have made it.

Suddenly-

_Crack._

There was a blast of pain in her back and then…nothing?

Killian released her immediately, and like a puppet whose strings had been cut she fell limp to the floor. Dazedly rolling herself over with her arms, she looked up into his cold eyes and then in the next moment found him straddling her waist and holding her hands above her head.

"Check mate."

Instead of the growl she expected in his tone, the voice that filled her ears was deadly calm. Combined with his still-healing facial wounds, and the blood that had run from his forehead to pool on the surface of his eye, Killian looked more than a little manic. Caroline resisted the urge to cringe away from him, but seeing the smirk that formed on his face, she ventured that she'd been unsuccessful in controlling her actions.

But...what had happened?

"I've broken your spine." He said, as if in answer to her mental musing. "You've been paralysed from the waist down, which luckily for me means that you'll no longer attempt one of these pathetic escapes again. We haven't even got to the best part yet and I'd hate for you to miss it, gorgeous."

His words hit like a sledgehammer to the chest, and refusing to believe him Caroline did everything in her power to try and move her legs. She tried to wriggle her toes, raise her knees, kick her feet up or even buck him off - but it was no use; as if a cog had been removed from her body, she no longer had access to her lower limbs.

Panic welled up at this new revelation, and she felt a distinctive lump form in her throat as the unshed tears stung her eyes. She had failed to get herself out that door, and now she was dependant of Klaus' rescue to get her out of there. Above all else, Caroline despised the feeling of helplessness.

Not wanting to meet Killian's now-sneering expression, or give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry, Caroline turned her head away. He, very foolishly in retrospect, took this action as a sign of defeat on Caroline's part.

The older vampire rose to his feet and straightened his clothing as if he hadn't a care in the world; as if there wasn't a broken, tortured girl currently resting at his feet. Caroline knew that it would take her some time to recover, much like it did when a vampire's neck was broken, but she wouldn't let it stop her from doing what she could to spite him in any way possible.

He should have known better from the hours he spent torturing her that Caroline never gave up. As soon as he was standing, she assessed quickly which parts of her body were still active and found her arms were quite capable. She pushed herself up into a sitting position and Killian merely stood there watching with an amused expression at the trouble that the handicap gave her in regard to movement. Caroline ignored him, and as soon as she was situated, looked up and met his eye.

"Well then, let's not delay." She spoke sweetly, "how about you go first?"

Before her words could even register in his mind, Caroline had swung one arm around like a hammer and hit the side of his kneecap with all the force she could muster.

There was a crunching noise and he fell to the floor with a roar of pain as she scooted herself backwards with a laugh. Perhaps it wasn't very productive use of her time, but she knew there was no way she'd make it outside in time and her actions had been solely inspired by her growing anger at this man, rather than her need to get out. Knee dislocations were painful, especially with the added bonus of breaking the bone, but they weren't long lasting; especially for a vampire.

Nevertheless, Caroline shuffled backwards, away from the place Killian had fallen, in order to create some distance between the two of them.

Or at least she tried to, because as soon as she made to move away, he reached out and grabbed out her ankle.

"You little bitch!" he hissed at her, and for a split second she wondered if it was worth being so foolish as to anger him more than he'd already been. Killian's behaviour was becoming exceedingly deranged as the time passed, and if she mused that she'd probably just severely reduced the chances of Klaus finding her alive.

But oh, how she loved the feeling of power these small opportunities brought her.

"Right, that's it. You've had your fun, now it's my turn." He spoke in a growl.

She couldn't exactly feel his grip around her ankle because of his previous brutality, and it seemed surreal because she could definitely see his fingers tightening around her flesh so much so that they whitened. However, Caroline was ripped from this avenue of musing when her head bounced off the floor as he yanked her roughly toward him. She fell off the support that her arms had been providing, then on his obviously now-healed leg he stood and began to drag her along down the hall without another word – apparently he was done talking.

Like a child with a plaything, he did not look back or care for her fortune as she was pulled along the splintering floor of the old house. Caroline could not kick out or reach him from her awkward position, but she be damned if she made things easy.

She screamed, grabbed at doorframes, struggled with all the strength her upper-body allowed her, and yet Killian merely doubled his efforts before switching tactics at the entrance to the bathroom by deciding to pull her by her hair.

The smell of blood permeated the air as she took the opportunity of the change to gouge long streaks down his arm with her nails. With a growl, he threw her forward, and the momentum was just enough to result in Caroline's head striking the edge of the bathtub. As she fell to the floor just next to it in a not-so-graceful heap, she glanced backward in preparation of his next assault, but instead she found his back to her as he stood by the small sink.

Taking the time to test her legs while he was slightly preoccupied, she found that although she certainly had some feeling, standing was not an option. So instead she tried to regain his attention; Caroline would rather know what was going to happen to her than be left in the dark too long by his silence.

"Was that your turn? Because just I have to say, it was slightly disappointing. I mean I've been tortured before, and right now, compared to them you're sitting on maybe a solid 6.5 when it comes to points. I was hoping for at least an 8 from you."

The fact that Killian merely responded with a dark chuckle to her remark, turning around with a thick pair of rubber gloves donning his hands, sent an icy shiver down her spine. Hating that she was completely vulnerable on the floor as his eyes swept her battered and blood-soaked body, she reached out and grasped the edge of the tub to pull herself up. As she got into her sitting position however, Caroline yelped when her fingertips brushed the surface of the water and ripped her hands away. Looking at the burnt ends of her fingers, and glancing once at a grinning Killian who leant lazily against the counter watching her, she peered over the edge into the murky water to confirm what she already knew.

"Oh sweetheart, I haven't even made the first move."

* * *

After only 3 minutes, Caroline began clawing at the hand that held her head underwater.

Upon being reminded that he wore the gloves, she spent the following moments trying to reach back far enough so that she could find the edge and pull the insufferable things off.

Realising her intentions, Killian pulled her wrists behind her back with one hand and crushed the bones in her wrists.

Without pause, her head breached the surface of the vervain once more.

* * *

After 18 minute, Caroline started having trouble drawing breath.

Although it wasn't necessary for a vampire, she couldn't help the gasps that escaped her lips as she was pulled out of the water over and over again.

When those gasps were joined by sobs, the two morphed into one desperate, breathy cry.

She started reminding herself:

_Vampires can't drown._

* * *

At the 31 minute mark, the blonde vampire began to beg for her life.

"Please, stop."

"I'll do anything, please."

"No more, I beg you."

"Please."

Every time Caroline was simply met with silence.

Every time she cried harder as she felt the now familiar pressure on the back of her skull.

_Vampires can't drown_

* * *

When 45 minutes had gone by with no sign of Klaus, and no sign of Killian stopping, she began to beg for other things.

She begged for Klaus:

"Please hurry."

She begged for mercy:

"please stop, I'm sorry for everything."

She begged for death:

"Please just kill me."

Nothing worked.

She knew very well by that point, because she wished for the complete opposite:

_Vampires can't drown._

* * *

When it got past the hour, Killian's persistence in wanting to break Caroline actually had the opposite effect.

Although she continued to beg for it to stop – she wished for nothing more – her spark still burnt.

Knowing not only that Klaus would hopefully be closer to finding her, but also that the pain she was enduring now, however excruciating, could not increase in intensity, was actually a small comfort to her.

* * *

_...He let go of her hair and she fell sideways, coughing and landing on the grimy floor..._

_He laughed and crouched next to her..._

"_How are you holding up, sweetheart?"_

"_I am not your sweetheart."_

_...Almost 8 hours… _

_...you won't last much longer..._

"_Try me." _

_She was...pushed over the rim of the bathtub face-first..._

_...he didn't stop applying pressure ...pushed her entire body under the surface..._

_...she felt an extra pair of hands hold her legs under the vervain-filled bath...  
_

* * *

_She felt an extra pair of hands hold her legs under the vervain-filled bath._

The significance of this thought, of this feeling, didn't register in her mind for a split second.

That was all it took for all hell to break loose.

Killian's weight disappeared from her atop her, and luckily for Caroline her limbs happened to be working faster than her brain. She emerged spluttering from under the water and threw herself over the side of the bath - landing in an unceremonious heap on the hard tile floor. Injured and shaking she lay there waiting for her senses to return to her. She had no feeling besides the raw pain that came from her burnt flesh, her eyesight had once again abandoned her, and there were absolutely no sounds to be heard – nothing but a high-pitched ringing that overshadowed everything else.

When her eyes finally came blearily back into focus, she mustered up enough energy to lift her head.

All hell, in this case, just happened to be named Niklaus Mikaelson.

Realising that the extra hands she'd felt under the water were actually his, Caroline deduced that he had in fact not been holding her down as she'd assumed in her highly-strung state, but instead prying Killian's hands from her body. Had adrenaline and exhaustion raged away inside, she might have realised this sooner, but she had little energy to do more than roll over and take in her surroundings.

Later, Caroline would be surprised by the amount of injury that could be dealt to someone in such a short period of time, but now she just watched in awe as Klaus moved around Killian with all the finesse that his 1000 year brought him. He was little more than a blur, but with each strike of his fist, she could see that he wasn't holding back an ounce of his strength. Bones caved in, bruises formed to the point where she could not see where one stopped and another began, and several times she swore she saw his hands pass through skin; the large pools of blood were an indication that perhaps this was reality, rather than a result of her disorientation. But as her hearing came back, there was one thing Caroline noticed above everything else.

Killian was laughing.

She could see that the laughter was doing little more than increasing Klaus' anger and force upon every strike, and yet the vampire didn't stop. She noticed now that several of his limbs pointed in the wrong direction, and even one of his feet had made a complete 180° turn. She cringed at the image, and then winced as her still-soaked skin protested at the movement.

"K-laus." She croaked out, but he made no indication that he'd heard her.

She watched as he continued to hit Killian's broken body into the floor, before crouching next to his head and looking down at him. She saw his mouth move, but as her hearing hadn't returned to her fully, she could not distinguish the words beyond a muffled growl.

"Klaus." She spoke once more, raising her voice beyond the whisper it had been before. He heard her this time.

The hybrid's head snapped up at an alarming speed, and furious yellow eyes met her startling blue ones. The two shared a look as Caroline worked herself up to say more, but he broke the eye contact before she spoke and returned his attention back to Killian.

It was obvious to Caroline that he was determined to make the kill, and Klaus was so driven by his bloodlust and anger at the present time that he wouldn't allow even her to impede the progress. As he position his hand above Killian heart and prepared to plunge his hand in the vampire's chest, she knew she had to stop him.

"No!"

With what little strength she could muster, and gritting her teeth against the immense pain that wracked her body, Caroline stood. Flashing towards the two of them, she collapsed to the ground on the opposite side of Klaus over Killian's body.

Reaching out, she grabbed the arm that had been positioned lethally above Killian's frantically beating heart, shaking her head. She looked up at her once-captor for a moment and found him looking at her in confusion, but when she met his eyes it transformed into a self-satisfied sneer.

"Caroline," Klaus growled in warning, averting her attention to him. He had a look of lethal intent shining behind his eyes, but she simply gave him a determined glare and spoke.

"I want to do it."

Of all the words he would have assumed to come from her mouth, those ones hadn't even made the list. It actually gave him pause, and as he stared her down she watched the colour of his eyes fade from hybrid-yellow, back to their natural blue.

"I want to do it." She said again, her voice still husky from the damage that the vervain had done to it. Right now however, she chose to tune out her aches and pains in order to achieve her ultimate goal; retribution for all that Killian had done to her.

"Caroline..." Klaus implored now, his voice soft and caressing. She knew it was him giving her time to process what she'd just said to him; asking if she was sure.

Caroline had never been more sure of anything in her life.

She nodded.

"I need this."

Klaus nodded.

In the time they'd been conversing, Killian's body had been healing, but the hybrid kept a close eye on him; one hand on his chest holding him down, and an extra strike to the head for good measures once the deal had been made with Caroline.

Suddenly nervous, she shuffled on her knees so that she was situated closer to the vampire that still lay semi-conscious on the floor. Leaning over him, she waited for Klaus to shift his hold so that she was free to make the kill unheeded.

This was it.

Raising her hand above his chest it hovered there for a moment as she glanced toward Klaus. He merely raised his eyebrows at her and gestured his head forward in encouragement. Needing no further encouragement, she looked back at Killian and met his eyes for the last time.

She knew her determination to make the kill and get the revenge she required shone behind her eyes, because there was a flicker of resignation in his own. He knew he was going to die.

Caroline gathered what energy she had left and put all her remaining force behind her arm. Bringing in down she felt her fingers meet slick skin, before it passing through that to the flesh and muscle underneath. What Caroline hadn't accounted for however, was the strength of the bone that surrounded his heart.

Her hand stopped, and for a moment she frowned – trying to process the fact that she hadn't made it all the way through to his heart. Sure, some of the bones had fractured, but not enough to allow her hand through.

A pained laugh came from under her.

"Is that all you've go, Blondie? I was hoping for at least an 8." He mocked her earlier words, and with her combined frustration and exhaustion, angry tears welled in her eyes. She'd slipped up and easily taken lives before, but when it came to a soul she wanted to extinguish it felt like the world was fighting against her. Why wouldn't he just die?

She raised her arm and brought it down again.

And again.

And again.

Killian cried out at her brutal attacks, and the sounds of spattering blood drops and cracking bones seemed to echo around the bathroom. Tears of desperation began to run down Caroline's face and she swiped at them angrily with her free hand. Preparing for yet another attempt to pull the vile man's heart out, her raised arm was stopped when Klaus wrapped his hand around her own.

"No," she cried out angrily, trying to snatch it back from him, "let me do it!"

Through her struggle to release the limb, Klaus merely tightened his grip around her hand, and stopped her fighting with a stern look. When she finally settled down, he moved their joined hands to hover over the semi-healed gouges above Killian heart.

Then he pushed both of their hands down.

With his strength to guide her, Caroline's hand penetrated through the man's chest like a knife through butter. Through flesh, through bone, until finally they got to the muscle she'd been so desperate to relieve him of. As if to give encouragement, Klaus' fingers pressed around her own, until she tightened her grip and the heart rested in her palm.

It was only then that she noticed the pathetic sounds Killian made from underneath her. She could only assumed it was from their slow progress, and while she felt a small spark of guilt and horror at her own actions, the satisfaction that this man was now at her mercy for all he'd done to her overshadowed all else.

Looking up, she met his pain-filled gaze, and pulled.

* * *

He took her to a motel close by.

It wasn't exactly an extravagant establishment, but all Caroline cared about was getting out of that house and getting into a shower. The vervain-water had dried onto her skin, and it left an uncomfortable burning itch that covered her entire body. She needed it off.

She stayed in the car as Klaus acquired them a room, and on their way up the stairs she watched numbly as he compelled a girl around her size for clothing. Caroline was simply too exhausted to put up much of protest other than giving Klaus a pointed look after the exchange had been made, but he simply smirked in response.

When they entered the room, Caroline walked over to the bathroom door before pausing awkwardly and turning back to him.

"I, um-" she pointed inside as if to relay her intentions and he nodded, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"I'll be here." He spoke stiffly in reply, before shifting and reclining back against the bed head. She didn't know if he meant if matter-of-factly, or said the words as reassurance, but nonetheless she felt some of the remaining tension leave her body.

Sighing, she entered the bathroom before closing the door behind her and switching on the light. As soon as she glanced in the mirror however she regretted that decision. Due to the fact that she had yet to wash the vervain from her skin, it was flushed bright red as if she had severe sunburn. Her hair was a mess, and her entire body from head to toe was covered in grime, blood, and who knew what else. There were wood splinters embedded in her knees, and top it off, the clothing she had on – which consisted of the small dress she'd worn the night before – was a tattered mess.

Now she knew why Klaus had offered her his jacket.

Not wanting to look at her reflection for any longer, she quickly stripped down and stepped into the shower recess. Turning on the cold spray as hard as it could go, she stepped under it – grabbing the soap and scrubbing at her skin almost immediately.

As she rubbed at her skin, eyes closed under the spray, she couldn't stop thinking about it all.

_...An eye for an eye..._

Killian driving the wooden nails under her fingers.

_...I'm going to have a great deal of fun putting that fire in your eyes out, darling..._

Him breaking her spine when she tried to run.

_...We haven't even got to the best part yet..._

Her head being pushed under the water continuously, even as she begged him to stop.

_Is that all you've go, Blondie?_

The life draining from his eyes as she callously ripped it away.

Over and over like a never-ending carrousel the memories spun in her mind. As they did, she couldn't didn't cease her scrubbing; the water just wasn't cold enough - the burn just wouldn't leave her skin.

She didn't know how much time passed before she heard the click of the bathroom door shutting. Snapping her eyes open and picking her head up from her knees – when had she ended up on the shower floor? – she met Klaus' piercing gaze.

He didn't say a word as he approached the door to the shower, and when he opened it with no protest from Caroline, he stepped lithely inside. Giving no indication for concern of his fully clothed state, Klaus reached out and put his hand under the hard spray and hissed as the freezing droplets touched his fingertips. She listened intently to the squeaking turn of the faucet and felt the spray turn to drizzle, before it completely died away and a resounding silence was all that remained between them

Niklaus Mikaelson wasn't exactly the type of person to provide comfort – Caroline of all people knew that better than anyone – so when he lowered himself to the wet floor and leant against the tiled wall next to her vulnerable form, to say she was surprised would have been an understatement. She glanced his way and found him watching her with a blank expression, but behind those eyes she could still see the rage that warred within.

"You've been in here for over an hour, sweetheart." Klaus said evenly, finally breaking the stoic silence.

She frowned at his words, and shook her head.

"I didn't realise, I..." she trailed off and he simply nodded in understanding.

A silence enveloped them once more, and as Caroline's sat there thinking about everything, she began to shake. This was soon accompanied by the feeling of hot tears trailing down her cheeks. Since she'd ripped Killian's heart from his chest and they'd made their way out of that old house, Caroline had felt a numb. Like a robot she'd mechanically driven herself to distraction, but it only lasted so long.

Having _him_ here, knowing there was someone to protect her if she let her vulnerabilities come to the light, was the knife that cut through Caroline's iron-clad facade.

A reverberating sob left her throat and filled the room with all the anguish of its owner, and although Klaus made no move to offer her any additional comfort, Caroline didn't hesitate in leaning her body into his; burying her face in his neck. After a brief pause, a strong arm was placed around her small form, and she felt herself being pulled more firmly into his side.

She wasn't sure who held who tighter.

Time passed by as they stayed like this, how long she couldn't be sure, but eventually her sobs died down and silence once again prevailed between the two.

It was Caroline who broke it this time around.

"Thank you, for saving me." She breathed into the flesh of his neck, barely above a whisper.

"Always."

* * *

**A/N: So? SOOOOO? How was it? Was it awesome? Terrible? Average? Downright crazy? Please, hit me up with a review because I'd really love to know what you guys think :) Yes, I am aware that vampires aren't suppose to feel hot and cold like humans, but in my story they do - their feelings get heightened, so I assume they'd feel those things more intensely rather than not at all...? **

**Also, I am aware that an easier way to get to the heart is under the ribcage, but Caroline was an amateur and Klaus didn't have the heart to tell her after all the struggle. Plus, it was more ship-feelsy when he helped her, right!?**

**Haha, anyway, thank you for reading! I'm going to crash out :) Don't forget to review and tell me what you think!**

**xoxo - B.**


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